[Smurfs2010]

   
Is massdrop legit? And from the comments at the W30 massdrop page, there are some who are concerned about the warranty
 
Thanks mate, have just sent them a mail. Awaiting for their reply 

 
Yes, they are legit.  But not an authorized dealer.  I feel if a vendor is not an authorized dealer they should offer a much lower price.  I can get both UmPro30 and W30 lower at Sonic (and have).  Call them, they are very helpful.

 

[Kepller]

   
Yes, they are legit.  But not an authorized dealer.  I feel if a vendor is not an authorized dealer they should offer a much lower price.  I can get both UmPro30 and W30 lower at Sonic (and have).  Call them, they are very helpful.

Just received a response from sonicsolutions:
 

"Dear Kepller,

I apologize, but we are not able to price match items that are on sale
on other websites.

Thank you."

 
I guess you were just lucky or you have special connections 

 

 

[Gurashieruro]

For the guys who own both the Shure SE846 and UM Pro 50, what makes the different from each other? I'm not asking which is necessarily better but what sound characteristics make them different?

 

[shultzee]

 

   
Yes, they are legit.  But not an authorized dealer.  I feel if a vendor is not an authorized dealer they should offer a much lower price.  I can get both UmPro30 and W30 lower at Sonic (and have).  Call them, they are very helpful.

Just received a response from sonicsolutions:
 

"Dear Kepller,

I apologize, but we are not able to price match items that are on sale
on other websites.

Thank you."

 
I guess you were just lucky or you have special connections 

 

No   he meant sonic electronix not sonicsoloutions.   I have dealt with Sonic electronix as well and they have great pricing on the Westone pro line.   You just have to call them and ask for their best price.

 

[Frosty3258]

For the guys who own both the Shure SE846 and UM Pro 50, what makes the different from each other? I'm not asking which is necessarily better but what sound characteristics make them different?

I know it's a big thread but if a response takes a while there are a few good comparisons in it.

 

[Spyro]

Had SE846 for several days and own Pro 50.
 
Soundstage:  About the same.  relatively smallish.  Neither is better.  Even
Bass:  Without having both side by sideI think pro50 is better.  I think it has a bit more slam where SE846 is a bit more reserved.  Both very adequate but a true bass head might prefer Pro50.  I think detail and texture is about the same. Pretty even......
Treble:  Pro50 extends a bit farther but it is a warm smooth extension.  I think the SE846 treble extension actually comes from a very big spike in the upper mid/lower treble where SE846 sounds a bit brighter overall but I don't think the treble necessarily extends farther.  If you sample music you will hear that Pro50 extends treble very well...just warmly.
Midrange:  SE846 is very forward.  Too much for me I do not like it.  With SE846 midrange is dominant and up front.  Pro50 is more balanced with treble and bass and much less fatiguing.  I prefer mid and vocals with pro50.  Pro50 sounds more even with output between bass, treble and midrange.
 
I hear an unpleasant spike in the upper mid/lower treble with SE846 which is fatiguing.  (hear the exact same thing with SE535) It has a better wow factor between the two but Pro50 is smoother and more balanced.
 
I hate to say it's "personal preference" between the 2 because I really think the Pro50 is the better tuned IEM.
 
This all aside, the Pro50 has MUCH better fit and cables.  I find myself a pretty easy fit person but after 20 min with SE846 I had discomfort.  Housing is just too big for a universal.

 

[macbug]

I've been struggling to get a good seal with my um pro 50, my right ear canal is bigger than my left and both are bent so they don't like any of the longer tips. So far the only thing that fits okay are the black coloured foams, but even those feels a bit too tight / sometimes if I don't insert them right the sound gets muffled.

Unfortunately it means I can't really accurately judge the bass at the moment (I ordered some shure olives and hope those will be better fit), so I'm surprised to see you say the um pro has more bass than the se846. So far based on my imperfect listening I haven't really found the deep bass that everyone complains as a negative, it's there when I boost it, but coming from ie80 and momentum over ears it's fairly neutralish

 

[Gurashieruro]

I've been struggling to get a good seal with my um pro 50, my right ear canal is bigger than my left and both are bent so they don't like any of the longer tips. So far the only thing that fits okay are the black coloured foams, but even those feels a bit too tight / sometimes if I don't insert them right the sound gets muffled.

Unfortunately it means I can't really accurately judge the bass at the moment (I ordered some shure olives and hope those will be better fit), so I'm surprised to see you say the um pro has more bass than the se846. So far based on my imperfect listening I haven't really found the deep bass that everyone complains as a negative, it's there when I boost it, but coming from ie80 and momentum over ears it's fairly neutralish

Almost sounds like you need custom tips. The problem is the hook in the ear canal. Tip fitting is going to be troublesome for that.
As for sound wise, the IE80 have always been basshead IEMs.

 

[Spyro]

macbug.....What about considering different size tip for each ear?  I have done that on occasion.   That is perfectly normal.   Star tips.....have at it....
 
But as just mentioned, If you cannot get a good fit with Westone, you must get custom tips.  They couldn't make it any easier.

 

[macbug]

The black coloured true fits do give me a solid seal, its just that I feel a little bit like my right ear's stuffed, which is unfortunate because the isolation is pretty amazing (coming from ie80). The grey star tips (the default set) are almost okay, but I just feel like the right side is hit and miss. Hopefully the shure olives get here on Monday, I can always try converting my whole bag of t400 equivalent tips later using the stem of unused tips. I was hoping I could use some Klispch tips, but I can't insert them as deep as the x10 so it's also a no go.

Worst case I'll have to find and try the mythical Spin Fit for westone/shure, their site says they exist but no one sells them.

I think I do have to get over the lack of a mid bass hump compared to the ie80, but honestly right now I don't really get people who say they dislike the um pros due to too much bass, that's kind of like saying they don't like having the subwoofers in a 2.1 setup. (Disclaimer, I used to play acoustic bass at my schools orchestra and I've played electric bass as well, so I am some what biased towards hearings the bass line)

 

[bootjames]

Hello folks.
 
Yes I love my Westone UM PRO 10
 
Now thing is the cable got burned down to bare wire about two inches long.
( camp fire thing)
 
Do they have an replacement for this model or cable?
Yes seam like a good time to upgrade if I can, at this time.
Not to sure if I can get a cable for this model.
Was thinking about using some, tool dip. For the Red Green show, duck tape fix.
 
Share an link or PM well be nice.
 
Just to hot outside to wear full size cans.
 
Thanks Folks

 

[twister6]

  Hello folks.
 
Yes I love my Westone UM PRO 10
 
Now thing is the cable got burned down to bare wire about two inches long.
( camp fire thing)
 
Do they have an replacement for this model or cable?
Yes seam like a good time to upgrade if I can, at this time.
Not to sure if I can get a cable for this model.
Was thinking about using some, tool dip. For the Red Green show, duck tape fix.
 
Share an link or PM well be nice.
 
Just to hot outside to wear full size cans.
 
Thanks Folks

 
Considering UM Pro 10, I assume you are not looking for $450 Pure Silver replacement cable   All the latest W-series and UM pro series (as well as Shure) IEMs feature a standard mmcx connector.  Actually, Westone connectors are a bit shorter, but standard mmcx connector should fit it well.  If you just need a replacement cable, got to eBay and search for Westone cable and sort it by price.  You will find a ton of $13-$15 cables with a standard mmcx connector.  They are not going to sound better than a stock cable, but should do a job well!

 

[catscratch]

Had SE846 for several days and own Pro 50.

Soundstage:  About the same.  relatively smallish.  Neither is better.  Even
Bass:  Without having both side by sideI think pro50 is better.  I think it has a bit more slam where SE846 is a bit more reserved.  Both very adequate but a true bass head might prefer Pro50.  I think detail and texture is about the same. Pretty even......
Treble:  Pro50 extends a bit farther but it is a warm smooth extension.  I think the SE846 treble extension actually comes from a very big spike in the upper mid/lower treble where SE846 sounds a bit brighter overall but I don't think the treble necessarily extends farther.  If you sample music you will hear that Pro50 extends treble very well...just warmly.
Midrange:  SE846 is very forward.  Too much for me I do not like it.  With SE846 midrange is dominant and up front.  Pro50 is more balanced with treble and bass and much less fatiguing.  I prefer mid and vocals with pro50.  Pro50 sounds more even with output between bass, treble and midrange.

I hear an unpleasant spike in the upper mid/lower treble with SE846 which is fatiguing.  (hear the exact same thing with SE535) It has a better wow factor between the two but Pro50 is smoother and more balanced.

I hate to say it's "personal preference" between the 2 because I really think the Pro50 is the better tuned IEM.

This all aside, the Pro50 has MUCH better fit and cables.  I find myself a pretty easy fit person but after 20 min with SE846 I had discomfort.  Housing is just too big for a universal.

I think you're the FIRST person I've come across to talk about that treble spike in the SE535. For the longest time I'd talk about the SE535 being harsh, borderline unlistenable for me, and most people would just say "huh..." In the end, I started thinking it was just fit, and maybe I'd never get them to sound right. But it looks like you're hearing it too. I heard the same thing with the older E500.

I've kinda come to like the Pro 50. It's still too bassy by half and the mids could be a bit more upfront, but its nice tone, good detail without fatigue, and just pleasant overall presentation have won me over. It's a very good "plug in and forget" type headphone, made even better by stellar comfort and good overall build quality. It's a bit more sensitive to eartip type than I'd like, or was used to in the UM3x, but there's a good selection of usable tips that sound good enough and that's all I need.

Very descriptive, I know, but not wanting more out of your portables is generally very high praise, considering that the only full-size headphone that made me not want more is the SR-007. The Pro 50 is far from perfect, but its faults are easy to live with, especially on the go. Now they just need to drop the price to something more sensible ($450 or so would be just right).

 

[shultzee]

  Had SE846 for several days and own Pro 50.
 
Soundstage:  About the same.  relatively smallish.  Neither is better.  Even
Bass:  Without having both side by sideI think pro50 is better.  I think it has a bit more slam where SE846 is a bit more reserved.  Both very adequate but a true bass head might prefer Pro50.  I think detail and texture is about the same. Pretty even......
Treble:  Pro50 extends a bit farther but it is a warm smooth extension.  I think the SE846 treble extension actually comes from a very big spike in the upper mid/lower treble where SE846 sounds a bit brighter overall but I don't think the treble necessarily extends farther.  If you sample music you will hear that Pro50 extends treble very well...just warmly.
Midrange:  SE846 is very forward.  Too much for me I do not like it.  With SE846 midrange is dominant and up front.  Pro50 is more balanced with treble and bass and much less fatiguing.  I prefer mid and vocals with pro50.  Pro50 sounds more even with output between bass, treble and midrange.
 
I hear an unpleasant spike in the upper mid/lower treble with SE846 which is fatiguing.  (hear the exact same thing with SE535) It has a better wow factor between the two but Pro50 is smoother and more balanced.
 
I hate to say it's "personal preference" between the 2 because I really think the Pro50 is the better tuned IEM.
 
This all aside, the Pro50 has MUCH better fit and cables.  I find myself a pretty easy fit person but after 20 min with SE846 I had discomfort.  Housing is just too big for a universal.

I find the pro 50 very addicting.  Its amazing I keep reaching for them.

 

[Anda71]

I think you're the FIRST person I've come across to talk about that treble spike in the SE535. For the longest time I'd talk about the SE535 being harsh, borderline unlistenable for me, and most people would just say "huh..." In the end, I started thinking it was just fit, and maybe I'd never get them to sound right. But it looks like you're hearing it too. I heard the same thing with the older E500.

I've kinda come to like the Pro 50. It's still too bassy by half and the mids could be a bit more upfront, but its nice tone, good detail without fatigue, and just pleasant overall presentation have won me over. It's a very good "plug in and forget" type headphone, made even better by stellar comfort and good overall build quality. It's a bit more sensitive to eartip type than I'd like, or was used to in the UM3x, but there's a good selection of usable tips that sound good enough and that's all I need.

Very descriptive, I know, but not wanting more out of your portables is generally very high praise, considering that the only full-size headphone that made me not want more is the SR-007. The Pro 50 is far from perfect, but its faults are easy to live with, especially on the go. Now they just need to drop the price to something more sensible ($450 or so would be just right).

I own both the se535 and the UM Pro 50 and I hear it on the se535 too. To my ears it's most pronounced on sibilants (and other wide band, high frequency content), where I hear what I can best describe as a "dog whistle"-like texture to the sound.
Looking at measurements of the se535 there is a narrow (high Q) spike between 7 and 8kHz and another one between 14 and 15 kHz, where westones have a much wider (lower Q) spike around 9-10 kHz and a much smoother fall off above 10 kHz.
The 8 kHz spike is more or less pronounced with different tips and almost nonexistant on some measurements. The spike between 14 and 15 kHz is another story. That spike is present on all measurements of the se535 I have seen. On goldenears' CSD plot you can see that it rings like a bell at these frequencies. The high frequency spike is strong enough and at a frequency high enough not to get masked by lower harmonics.
 
I think, the magnitude and the decay properties of the spikes and/or the ability to hear the 14-15 kHz spike might explain why some people find the se535 harsh sounding and some don't.
 
The Pro 50 on the other hand is overall less neutral sounding compared to the se535 (Keep in mind that it is meant as a stage monitor and that it's spectral balance is tuned accordingly). It has elevated bass and low mids and lacks energy between 3 and 6 kHz. This makes it warm and and somewhat muffled sounding. I haven't seen many measurements of the Pro 50 but if it is anything like the UM3X and the W4R, the spike at 9-10 kHz has a much faster decay than the se535 spikes.
 
No matter how I try to eq the se535, I can't seem to remove the unnatural sibilance. This is no surprise, because normal eq does not remove resonances. You would need filters that work in the time domain to do this.
 
The Pro 50 needs some eq to sound natural, but it is easy to work with.